The pace of communications convergence continues to accelerate as we enter the new century. Communications convergence dictates that business-critical network traffic, among other network traffic, requires convergence of voice/data and new bundled service paradigm. The need for voice/data communication in the industry is always increasing. Small business environments with a small-scale or medium-scale office require the transmission of voice and data through a single pipe. Telephone companies and specialized data and voice carriers are also poised to offer new competitive bundled T1/E1 integrated access, symmetric high-bit-rate digital subscriber loop (SHDSL), and fiber interface service to customers and have recently made announcements in the United States and other parts of the world to do so.
As is known by those having ordinary skill in the art, in accordance with a request for service, a central office provides a number of data communication channels and voice communication channels to a customer premises. In turn, the customer premise is capable of providing data communication via a number of data terminals, and voice communication via a number of voice terminals. Hardware is typically provided at the customer premises, where the hardware is specifically configured to handle the number of voice communication channels and data communication channels specifically requested from the central office.
Unfortunately, after having purchased hardware configured for accommodating the specified number of data communication channels and the specified number of voice communication channels, it is difficult, if not impossible, to change the hardware. It is quite often, however, that such a change of the hardware is required due to the modification in the number of voice communication channels and data communication channels received by the customer premises. As a result, the previously configured hardware is replaced by newly configured hardware, thereby adding expense and inconvenience.
Thus, a heretofore-unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.